The Girl Before Me

 

The Girl before me by Laura Wolfe psychological thriller

Rachel has moved into a new apartment to start her new life with her daughter away from the abusive husband she has filed for divorce against. Her daughter has won a scholarship to a nearby school and the new apartment is only a few blocks away. Rachel soon learns that the previous tenant Annie disappeared without telling anyone which is rather odd. She opens a letter which is from Annie's sister asking Annie to contact her as she is worried not having heard from her. Rachel develops a friendship with several of the residents, some of which are more friendly than others, one in particular is rather odd. Are Rachel and Lily safe in the apartment and what really happened to Annie?

I quickly got into this and took to Rachel and her anxiety being in a strange place not knowing whom to trust. A range of characters both good and bad which made me unsure of whom, if any, had anything to do with Annie going missing. A nicely built tension that kept the pages turning and kept me guessing right to the very end. An enjoyable read.

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Buy Link: 

https://geni.us/B09RQS5TSSsocial

About the Book: 

I switched on the bedroom light, casting a glow across the apartment. No one was there. But then the locks on my front door caught my eye. I thought I’d locked them both, but now one was open…

When I moved into the apartment with my little daughter Lily, it was meant to be a new beginning for us. Now we are right in the heart of downtown, in a building with its own doorman. For the first time in a long time we are safe, away from my ex-husband.

But just as we settle into our new lives a letter arrives for someone called Annie. The neighbors tell me to ignore it. She’s just the woman who lived here before me, who moved out one day without a word.

Curious, I open it anyway and am shocked by what I read. It says Annie wasn’t safe. It said she needed to get out.

Now, I can’t escape the idea that someone is watching us. I feel I can’t trust my neighbors.

And I can’t help but think… Something happened to Annie. Something bad. And Lily and I are not nearly as safe here as I thought we were…

A totally unputdownable gripping thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and Gillian Flynn.

Author Bio and Social Media 

Laura Wolfe is an Amazon charts bestselling author who writes fast-paced and twisty psychological thrillers and suspense novels. Her recent titles published by Bookouture include WE LIVE NEXT DOOR, HER BEST FRIEND'S LIE, SHE LIES ALONE, and TWO WIDOWS. Laura's YA mystery series and adult suspense novel, TOP PRODUCER, have been shortlisted for multiple indie book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Website: https://www.laurawolfebooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraWolfeBooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraWolfeBooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lwolfe.writes/

A Tidy Ending

 

A Tidy Ending- Joanna Cannon-psychological thriller

Linda works in a charity shop part time- the rest of the time she spends

sorting her house out and tidying after her husband Terry. Occasional

chapters take us to Linda in some sort of establishment where things are

organized- we don’t quite know what- which gives it an eerie feel. They

have not long moved into a different house and post arrives for a

Rebecca- catalogues and such like which Linda opens and hence feels

she is getting to know the elusive Rebecca. There have been some

murders in the town of women and Linda along with her mother both

feel that the police need some help from the public. Linda has

previously been to the police station thinking she was helping but felt

she was too easily dismissed. She wishes that the grass was greener

and a little frustrated with her life but appears to know how to do

anything to change it.

This is cleverly written and draws you in although you don’t really know

why as Linda (the narrator) leads a very ordinary life but there's just

that something hidden. Linda's mother made me cringe at times -

having known people like this that really do exist sadly. Very much a

character lead read that kept the pages turning as there was that air of

mystery right the way through. A very cleverly thought out plot and

a nice twist. One to keep you guessing right to the very end. Loved it. 

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookbl

The Watchmakers Daughter

 

The Watchmaker's Daughter by Dianne Haley-WW II historical novel

Valerie lives with her watchmaker father in Switzerland during the war. A neutral country and one who is torn between the two sides but seeing what the Germans are doing and hearing the BBC news leaves many of them forming a resistance group to help where they can to pass on information and sometimes people. Valerie is in love with Phillipe who is in the army. She is helping with the resistance movement and there is news of a traitor- someone who is passing information to the Germans and if found out would be shot. Who in the town would do this and why?

I quickly got into this and like Valerie and her loyalty to doing justice. There's a nice tension of anticipation when the resistance are in action- to me showing the skill of a good author. It's an emotive read and one with some wonderful scenic descriptions that put the reader at the heart of the book. I'm sure there is more to come from Valerie and Phillipe and I look forward to the next one. A very interesting, enjoyable read.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

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The Watchmaker's Daughter: An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching World War II historical novel

 

Hiding the worn piece of paper among her father’s watch deliveries, her eyes fill with tears at the memory of her brave friend walking towards the Nazi soldiers, and the sharp sound of gun fire. Her friend sacrificed herself so that she could deliver this message. But if she hands it over, the love of her life will die…

1942, Geneva: As her radio crackles with heart-breaking news from occupied France, Valérie Hallez gazes towards the snow-covered Alps after a long day helping her father, a local watchmaker. With a Nazi invasion looming, she is sick with worry for the future of her country, and for Philippe, her childhood sweetheart with soft brown eyes. Valérie might not be able to join the army like him, but she is determined to play her part in the fight against evil…

In defiance of her father, Valérie helps the French Resistance by smuggling messages among her father’s watch deliveries. And when darkness falls, she risks everything to hide Jewish refugee children in his old workshop. Philippe fears for her safety, as her work for the Resistance could come with a heavy price. But nothing will stop her delivering vital information and getting terrified children to safety before they are sent back to the Nazis.

But when Valérie is entrusted with an urgent letter for the Allies, she finds herself in an impossible position. The information it contains could alter the course of the war. But if she hands over the message now, it will cost Philippe his life. With Nazi spies closing in on her, Valérie must act now… But can she really trust the man she loves, and will she find a way to save both him and her country before it’s too late?

An utterly gripping and heart-breaking novel about love and bravery in a time of terrible danger. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and We Were the Lucky Ones will be swept away by The Watchmaker’s Daughter

 

Buy link:

 

https://geni.us/B09R4PX5DNsocial

 

About the author

 

Originally from the north of Scotland, Dianne now lives with her husband in Edinburgh and has two grown-up children. After a thirty-year business career in London and Edinburgh when Dianne wrote between projects, she is now writing full-time.

Dianne and her family have been visiting the area round Lake Geneva since 1992 and love the Alps in all seasons. The inspiration for her series set in WW2 Switzerland came from a drive through Geneva’s old town on a rainy October evening, the cobbled lanes a perfect setting for secrets and hiding places.

Author social media

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dhaley30

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dianne-Haley-Author-105318942048374

 

Website: www.diannehaley.com

The Widows Husband

 

The Widow's Husband by Lesley Sanderson psychological thriller

Rachel’s husband Tom disappeared almost seven years ago. At the time he had moved in with Heidi whom he had been having an affair with but still saw his two children and had been talking to Rachel. Rachel receives a hand delivered note which she believes is in Tom’s hand writing saying he wants to come back. She isn't sure if this is a prank as everything possible was done to try and find him. It's not long until he can legally be declared dead which would help her financially as she has been struggling since he left. Can Tom still be alive and why choose now to want to come back?

I quickly got into this and found it a good premise. There's lots going on especially with the family life not being straight forward which kept the pages turning. A good tension, a few secrets and curveballs here and there to me showing the skills of an excellent author. A page turner of a read I thoroughly enjoyed.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

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Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B09QH35DMKsocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/1RSh50HvN6Q

Kobo: http://ow.ly/T3qv50HvN4r

Google: http://ow.ly/R7xC50HvNak

 

About the Book: 

For seven years I believed my husband was dead – until the note arrived this morning…

The day her husband Tom disappeared, Rachel’s life fell apart. Childhood sweethearts with two young children, they’d done everything together. And then, suddenly, Tom was gone. Without a word, without a note, without a single sign of where he might be, leaving Rachel to survive alone.

Now, nearly seven years later, Rachel has come to terms with life as a single mother, caring for their children who still secretly long for their father’s miraculous return.

But in his absence, Tom’s hidden life started to emerge, and Rachel has discovered things a wife should never have to. A secret life that betrayed everything Rachel thought she knew. Not knowing where he’d gone was no longer the main worry keeping her awake at night – it seemed much more likely he’d been silenced. Forever.

Until today, when – with just one month until Tom is to be declared legally dead – Rachel receives a note in handwriting she recognises with dread:

My darling, I’ve missed you so much. Give me a chance to explain. I’m coming home.

The husband she’d lost is alive.

And so are all his secrets…

A totally addictive and suspenseful thriller that will have you reading late into the night, perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, T.M. Logan and Lisa Jewell.

 

Author Bio

Lesley attended the Curtis Brown Creative 6 month novel writing course in 2015/6, and in 2017 The Orchid Girls (then On The Edge) was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize.

Lesley is the author pf three psychological thrillers: The Orchid Girls, The Woman at 46 Heath Street and The Leaving Party.

Lesley spends her days writing in coffee shops in Kings Cross where she lives and works as a librarian. She loves the atmosphere and eclectic mix of people in the area. Lesley discovered Patricia Highsmith as a teenager and has been hooked on psychological thrillers ever since.

 

 

Social Media

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lsandersonbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsandersonbooks

Website: https://www.lesleysanderson.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesleysandersonauthor/

Deadly Shores

 

DEADLY SHORES by Kerry Buchanan - Crime             

Detectives Harvey and Birch have had a tip off about a boat being delivered to a nearby dockyard. On seeing what they think is someone around the boat at night, they investigate further and a whole new case is opened up. A local man denies everything but has been caught on CCTV but still denies knowing anything about what is in the rucksack he was seen carrying. When there is a murder things are turning nasty and complicated as even more things begin to appear. What is going on and why? 

This is the third in a series but happily stands alone. Set in Belfast there is the beauty of the city and the nearby coast giving a nice variety of settings. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the characters and the twists and turns that kept this moving at a nice pace. Likeable, relatable characters  you can easily take to and a good strong story line make this a highly enjoyable read that keeps the grey matter active. 

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

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DEADLY SHORES BY KERRY BUCHANAN AN ABSOLUTELY JAW-DROPPING CRIME THRILLER FEATURING DETECTIVES ASHA HARVEY & AARON BIRCH. TWO SHIPS IN THE NIGHT. ANOTHER DEAD BODY. NO SAFE HARBOUR. The tip-off comes just as the Christmas roast is being served. Smugglers coming into a boatyard in Bangor. Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch are sent in to investigate. It means being pulled away from pulling crackers, but in truth they’re both a bit relieved. Chief Superintendent Yvonne Patterson has been sidelining them lately — and this case could be big. The illicit cargo is long gone by the time Asha and Aaron arrive, but local man Phil Johnston is caught on the boatyard’s CCTV. The same Phil Johnston who's broken into and planted a brick of cocaine in the boatyard manager’s house. But before anyone can declare it case closed, the driver who delivered the boat is found murdered in his hotel room. Harvey and Birch have found themselves caught in a deadly storm. Will they sink or swim? Fans of BBC’s Line of Duty, Lynda La Plante, Tana French, Patricia Gibney, Brian McGilloway and Helen H. Durrant will devour this gripping new page-turner by one of Northern Ireland’s hottest talents. MEET THE DETECTIVES DETECTIVE ASHA HARVEY Asha Harvey has always had a powerful sense of right and wrong. She has wanted to be a detective since she was a child, and while she can be a little too trusting, her open manner makes people want to confide in her. She is especially driven to succeed as a woman of colour in a largely white, male police force in Northern Ireland. Her family support her and are ridiculously proud of her, which adds to her internal pressure to succeed. DETECTIVE AARON BIRCH Boyish and gangly, Aaron Birch entered the police force as a detective through a graduate recruitment scheme. This makes him the butt of snide remarks by fellow officers, so he always feels he has something to prove. He also has a tendency to stretch the rules to suit himself, which can lead to him getting into trouble. THE SETTING A city of contrasts, Belfast is filled with beautiful old relics dating back to a golden age of shipbuilding and wealth, as well as the scars of more recent wounds. The city has an exciting sense of newness and potential, but it can’t quite shed those who lurk in the darker shadows born of its turbulent past. WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT KERRY BUCHANAN:  “This book had me gripped from the beginning and I am already hoping there is another book to come in the series.” Barbara  “Wow . . . Love these characters and I hope we get many more in the series to come. This book is full of twists and turns all the way.” Booklover Bev  “I read it in one sitting . . . The narrative was good, the characters were well-written and likeable . . . I found it hard to put this down and even read whilst I was eating. It had a suspenseful and mysterious build up that kept me on my toes.” Kirsty  “It’s not often a debut novel is as well written as this. I found myself utterly riveted from very early in the book, and when I wasn’t reading it, I was spending my time wishing I was . . . highly, highly, recommended.” Sean S. DETECTIVES HARVEY & BIRCH MYSTERIES Book 1: KNIFE EDGE Book 2: SMALL BONES Book 3: DEADLY SHORES

KERRY BUCHANAN Kerry Buchanan has had numerous short stories published internationally, including some prize-winners, but her heart lies with novel-writing. Her crime series is set in Belfast and in the rolling County Down hills she sees from her window as she writes. She is often invited to perform her work at literary events or to be a member of panels at conventions, and she loves to help new writers by facilitating writing groups and classes in her local community. Although Kerry is disabled, her hobbies include sailing and attempting to outwit the slugs in her vegetable patch. Generally, the slugs win. BOOKS BY KERRY BUCHANAN DETECTIVES HARVEY & BIRCH MYSTERIES KNIFE EDGE SMALL BONES DEADLY SHORES FOLLOW KERRY ON AUTHOR WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS AMAZON

Dead on Delivery

 

DEAD ON DELIVERY by Steve Parker -Crime

This is the first Paterson and Clocks book I have read - there is a series but this happily stands alone (books 1-5 are available as a box set). Wow! What had I let myself in for? A wonderful read with lots of smiles- read on: The pair who don’t play by the rules or at least push them to the very boundaries, are called to an RTA where a bike courier has been hit and killed by a car. What turns out to be even more interesting is the contents of the boxes he was carrying. This leads to an organised crime group and Paterson and Clocks going on surveillance with interaction only known to them. I found myself turning quicker and quicker to see what the seemingly hapless, but clever and calculating pair were up to next. 

There is a wonderful camaraderie between the pair. Paterson being more the balanced of them whilst Clocks doesn't care what anyone thinks about him. Some of the repartee are only things they could say to each other but Clocks throws in comments to others for good measure either to wind them up or to find out what they are made of.  A good solid plot line and its an action packed read from cover to cover with lots of banter and humour thrown in. An excellent read with corruption, trafficking and more. I very much look forward to the next in the series.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

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DEAD ON DELIVERY

Discover a crime thriller full of shocking twists by one of the most exciting authors you’ll read this year.

Meet Paterson and Clocks. The police detectives who NEVER play by the rules.

YOU WON’T WANT TO PUT THIS DOWN, PAGE AFTER PAGE OF ACTION AND CLIFFHANGERS . . .

The city of London. Morning rush hour. The police pull over a motorcycle courier for a trivial offence. He doesn’t stop. The police give high-speed chase.

He jumps a red light and is mown down by an oncoming car. Killed on impact.

Detectives Paterson and Clocks arrive at a scene of carnage. Large plastic boxes are scattered across the road. Their lids open, their contents warming up in the early morning sun. A traffic officer comforts a distraught woman driver. The courier’s body lies nearby, his left leg bent at an awkward angle, his head at another: the loser of this particular meeting of metal and plastic.

The detectives take a closer look at the boxes. It’s one of the worst things they’ve ever seen. And they’ve seen some very bad things.

This discovery leads Paterson and Clocks on their most dangerous investigation yet — and into the path of Alicia Warren, a ruthless international businesswoman who will kill to keep her profits flowing.

And if that’s not enough, Johnny Clocks, England’s most foul-mouthed detective, is trying to keep his new wife happy while building a relationship with the 24-year-old son he never knew he had.

A RACE-AGAINST-TIME THRILLER WHICH WILL HAVE YOU TOTALLY ADDICTED.

Hidden In the Shadows

 

Hidden in the Shadows by Imogen Matthews (wartime Holland #2)

A different WW2 story inspired by true historical events  this time set in the occupied Netherlands. Wouter is in hiding as all young men are being recruited by the Germans and being forced to work in Germany. Laura is Jewish and hence in hiding herself. They met whilst in the hidden village, deep in the woods but then got separated when it was raided. Chapters alternate between Woulter, Laura and occasionally Else and tell of their survival and hiding, hardships and terror. This is the second book in the series but does stand alone (I hadn't read the first one) as things are well explained. This tells of the network of not only the resistance but those who wouldn't be ground down by oppressors and just wanted to do right by their fellow man offering help, shelter and food to those on the run in fear of their lives. Even some of the recruited Germans were sympathetic, they themselves having had no choice over their position at the time. A time of horrors and trauma, very well portrayed and one to keep the pages turning. Of bravery and defiance, of love and loss and believing in whatever keeps you going forward. An informative, interesting read

 For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

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Hidden in the Shadows: An utterly gripping and heartbreaking World War II historical novel about love and impossible choices (Wartime Holland Book 2)

The hidden village was meant to keep them safe, but the Nazis have found it… There’s no time to lose. Laura gathers the children and whispers to them to be brave. The smallest cowers in her arms as they hear the crack of gunshots outside. Laura knows they’ll have to run if they are to survive…

Nazi-occupied Holland, 1943: In a makeshift village in the middle of the woods, hiding from Nazi soldiers determined to find them, a beautiful young Jewish woman named Laura thought she was safe. By day she remained silent and out of sight, but as darkness fell, she began to fall in love with a resistance fighter named Wouter. Until everything changed, on the day the village was stormed…

Desperate to protect the six small and terrified children in her care, Laura races towards the church spires of the nearest town in the distance and just manages to escape from the soldiers.

Wouter is stuck on the other side of the village when the German officers start shooting. As he desperately scrambles through the dark, dense woodland, he has no idea whether Laura has made it out alive.

Devastated that he hadn’t tried to save her, Wouter spends his days delivering food and transporting people to safety, determined to help those most in peril. But he never gives up hope of finding the woman he loves.

Even when he hears the rumours about the Nazis cramming Jews onto cattle trains for deportation to brutal work camps, he can’t believe she’s gone forever. How could he live if Laura was amongst them? And if he does find her, will their love have survived the ravages of everything they’ve been through, together and apart?

An utterly heartbreaking tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice, Hidden in the Shadows is perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See.

 

Buy link

 

https://geni.us/B09QLDPLGLsocial

 

About Imogen Matthews

Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories about the Netherlands during the German occupation in World War 2. Some stories she discovered by chance, others are based on her Dutch mother's own experiences of hardship and survival during the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.

Her first novel, The Hidden Village, is set in the Veluwe woods, a beautiful part of Holland that Imogen has visited frequently over the past 30 years. It was in these woods that she discovered the story of the real hidden village which provided shelter in underground huts for Jews during WW2. Imogen retells the story of the hidden village with characters drawn from real life and from her imagination.

Within weeks of publication in 2017, The Hidden Village became an international bestseller, ranking at the top of a number Amazon's most-read book lists.

Following on from The Hidden Village comes Hidden in the Shadows, which has the pace of a thriller yet is also a love story. It tells the story about two young people who are brutally torn apart and must find a way to be together against all odds.

Imogen's third WW2 novel, The Girl Across the Wire Fence, is set in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and is based on the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell - the little known Dutch concentration camp called Kamp Amersfoort.

Imogen's WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.

Learn more about Imogen's story in this video: https://youtu.be/2YO0IWJSjj0

Author social media

www.imogenmatthewsbooks.com

Facebook: @theHiddenVillagenovel

Twitter: @ImogenMatthews3